Pipe forming process



Feb. 25, 1936. w. L. ENGHAUSER PIPE FORMING PROCESS Filed Oct. 25, 1935INVENTOR ATTORNEY:

Patented Feb. 25, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT ,OFFIC 2,032,271 urn FORMINGmocnss Winford L. Enghauser, Lebanon, Ohio Application October 25, 1933,Serial No. 695,155

2 Claims. (01. vet-a4) This invention relates to the ar't of formingpipe, and is particularly directed to a method for joining thelongitudinally abutting edges of r formed-up flat pipe stock.

It is the object of this invention to provide a method for forming pipefrom fiat stockwherein the longitudinal joint of the formed pipe isclosed or seamed by frictionally inducing a metal forming heat in themetal of adjacent longitudi- ,nal seam flanges and controlling the flowof the. metal so that the flanges merge together and become fusedresulting to constitute a seam in a pipe having no apparent joint, or inother words, of continuous unbroken circular structure.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a method for closingthe longitudinal joint of rolled-up pipe stock in which apparatus isincluded for preserving the roundness of the pipe during the jointforming operation.

Other objects and further advantages will be more fully apparent from adescriptionof the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a. pipe forming apparatus including the present improvedapparatus and employing the present method.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of Figure 1, showing the formation of thepipe as it passes through the apparatus.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken transversely of the mandril andsupported pipe prior to the joint forming operation.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken transversely of the pipe, the pipesupporting means, and the joint forming disc, showing the pipe infinished or joined condition.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5, Figure 4, illustrating indetail the action of the forming discs on the adjacent longitudinal seamflanges of the pipe.

The improvements concerned in this application have been illustrated inconjunction with machinery for forming up a tube and bringing togetherlongitudinally related flangededges for operation thereon by theparticular mechanism concerned in this invention. For the purpose ofidentification, the joint sealing or forming unit concerned herein isgenerally designated at 6.

. Referring more specifically to the drawing, a table or frame 1 isemployed. The stock from which the pipe is formed is supplied ina flatstrip a and is fed initially to the appafatus for rolling the strip bylateral contact into a tube and bringing the longitudinal edges of thestrip into proximity. For this purpose rollers 9 are provided, therollers having arcuate tracking grooves.

In the present illustration there are three pairs of rollers. Therollers of each-pair are spaced apart for receiving the metal stripbetween them. 5 These rollers are journalled on vertical axes and aredriven by power through gears 9. Initially the sheet is forced betweenthese rollers by means of power driven rollers I0, I 0 engaging the topand bottom of the strip. 10

The strip 8 is moved toward a mandril l I. This mandril is supported atits end adjacent the feeding'end of the machine by means of a plateextension l2 disposed upwardly and bolted to an arm l3 of the frame. Themetal is rolled up from the sides and is brought together after itpasses the support of the mandril. The mandril extends to a positionadjacent the seaming or joint forming apparatus. The last rollers of theseries accordingly engage against the completely rounded pipe structure,bringing it together in perfectly circular shape about the mandril. Theformed pipe slips along the mandril and passes between the rollers ofthe joint forming mechanism.

The rollers 9 are driven at a low rate of speed. The speed of theserollers is made to conform to the rate of lineal travel of the pipe sothat there is no friction taking place in the feed, the movement of therollers merely aiding the lineal feed of the pipe.

The joint closing unit incorporates a frame. or bracket element llsecured on the main frame 1 by means of bolts. Idler rollers l5 are journalled-on vertically disposed-stub shafts l6, one at each side of thetube. These rollers have arcuate tracking grooves fitting against thetube and upper flanges l1. Another roller l8 has an arcuate trackinggroove engaging the underside of the pipe or tube. The roller isjournalled on a horizontal shaft secured in the bracket l4.

A forming disc I9 is journalled in a vertically slidably mounted bearingblock 20 engaged upon slideways 2| of the bracket. A vertically disposedscrew 22 is screwed through the bracket l4 and has its head 23 looselydisposed in the journal or hearing block. The journal block isfabricated of abutting plates 24, 24 for the purpose of assembly aboutthe head of the screw rod and'the ways of the bracket I4. A hand wheel25 is fixed on the upper end of the screw 5 for manipulation thereof,and a lock nut 26 fixes the screw in position. Rotation of the screwraises and lowers the forming disc relative to the tube and its joint sothat the appropriate contact is readily accomplished.

between the adjoining edges.

The disc I! is power driven through a belt 21 engaging a pulley 28 flxedon the end of the shaft 28 which supports the disc. The engagement ofthe disc with the tube is-directly over the joint equally overlappingthe adjoining flanges of the tube. A minimum working clearance (seeFigure 4) is desirable between the roller flanges l1 and the respectivesides of the tube in order that there can be no displacement of themental of the tube at these points.

The disc is driven at a rate of speed suitable for frictionally inducingforming heat in the metal of the pipe in the adjoining longitudinaledges thereof. These adjoining edges of the tube, as formed up, includelongitudinal flanges 29 (see Figure 3). The flanges 29 provide the metalmass to be formed into the joint in the fusing process. The disc drivenat a high rate of speed against the flanges 29 heats them and displacesthe metal thereof into the crevice 30 The longitudinal margins of thetube become heated and a merging and fusing of all metal flangeresults.. The metal used in the formation of pipe according to thismethod is preferably malleable which readily heats under the action ofthe disc.

Having described my invention, I claim:

' 1. The process of forming pipe comprising the steps of; bending a flatstrip into a tubular form with outwardly disposed flanged edgesadiacently disposed; passing the tube thus formed along'a support inrelation to a. rapidly rotating disc with the periphery of the discpressed against the outwardly disposed flanged edges for conjointlyheating and pressing the outwardly disposed flanged edgos together atthe point of contact with the disc causing the metal of these edges tomerge thereby forming a completely closed seamless tube. v

2. The process of forming pipe comprising the steps of bending a flatstrip into the form of a tube and incidentally forming adjacentlydisposed flanged edges; passing said tube thus formed along a support;and enga n said flanged edges under considerable pressure with theperiphery of a disc rotating at a speed sumcient for producing asoftening heat in theflanges by virtue of friction caused by the speedand pressure of the disc; and swearing and merging the heated edges byvirtue of the pressure applied as described to form a seamless tube.-

, WIN'FORD L. ENGHAUQER.

